Death By Stereo
by Cabbitshivers
Summary: Gohan has one of those days that he just wishes he slept through...


Episode I -Death By Stereo-  
  
  
  
Gohan swore as for the fifth time that afternoon his Saiya-jin instincts won over his placid temperament and in a fit of frustration he hurled his history textbook at the nearest wall. With a satisfyingly loud 'thunk', the hard spine made its mark among the other four dents in the jib before falling to the floor in a cacophony of fluttering pages. Sharp dark eyes glared twin holes through the thick cardboard cover of the book compulsory to the school curriculum, silently demanding of the paper and ink to burst gloriously into flame and vanish into the deepest pit of the Hells where it would never be read again. Except maybe by Frieza and Cell, and even then it would pushing the border towards inane cruelty. He was somewhat disappointed when all the book did was lie there in its bent, dented and abused innocence, flashing its white pages at him like a flag of parley.  
  
Gohan scowled.  
  
The textbook was just playing wounded. He knew that any minute now it would rise up off the floor like some possessed literature from an unnamed place and lunge at his face, tearing into his skin with painful paper cuts and slamming its covers against his ears to bloodily rupture his eardrums. That book was evil - utter garbage tattooed on its insides like some satanic spell to make his life a living Hell. Like a mini javelin, he aimed his pen and sent it flying through the air to stab the book in the centre of the big, nasty 'O' on the front cover. 'HISTORY' now had a very intimidating flagpole. His mother would be terribly displeased that he'd damaged another textbook belonging to the school, but if he managed to convince her that the book was biased and evil and full of lies then maybe she'd let it slide. After all, she knew for a fact that Hercule Satan had absolutely nothing to do with saving the world. That book was biased. Biased, evil and full of nasty, nasty denigrations. And also would be very, very dead if one Prince Vegeta ever happened to read what was written on page 22. Speaking of which.  
  
Gohan glanced down at the thirty-third question on the Q&A homework sheet he'd been handed the day before and at his half-finished answer before aiming another glare at the wounded book and snatching a second pen from his satchel.  
  
"On page 22, what is offered to Hercule Satan upon the destruction of the evil Cell monster? And why did the great martial artist see fit to refuse the gift? - A ridiculously zealous full frontal lobotomy and a free first- class ticket on the first inter-planetary flight courtesy of the Prince of all Saiya-jin's who was said in this chapter to be a 'short, weak little troll of a man who offered Hercule Satan the very clothes off his back.'" Gnawing momentarily on the end of his pen, Gohan then quickly scribbled a snide comment on the questionable sanity of the two before finishing off his answer with a sharp, debilitating shot at the historian who had researched the topics' grasp of the events and shoved the finished paper into his satchel with the pen. He shot another piercing glare at the History textbook. "It's all crap and you know it!" He shouted at its now guilty-looking pages. "How the Hell anyone can believe this stuff is beyond me."  
  
"Whatcha shoutin' at, Gohan-niisan?" A voice asked from the door. Gohan shifted his glare to the small boy standing in the doorway where his gaze immediately softened and a small smile appeared on his face in place of the snarl.  
  
"Just my school book, Torunksu." He replied, shrugging embarrassedly at the eight year-old lavender-haired Prince. "It's not agreeing with me on a certain topic and we've been arguing all afternoon."  
  
Pale blue eyes shifted from the eighteen year old to the book laying forlornly on the floor, to the dents in the jib, back to the older Demi Saiya-jin. "So that's why there's holes in the wall."  
  
"Aa, sorry about that." His face flushed when he realized that it wasn't actually his wall he'd damaged with that hated book. It was, in fact, Bulma's. "Damn."  
  
"Niichan!" Another exuberant voice shouted, and two heads turned as a dark- haired chibi appeared behind Trunks in the doorway. "Niichan, there you are! Bulma-san wants to know if you want to stay for dinner."  
  
Gohan smiled. "That would be great, but we've gotta be going home soon. Okassan wants us back before five." He checked his watch; it was already nearing four-thirty.  
  
Goten's face fell. "Oh." He murmured. He'd really wanted to spend more time with Trunks. "Well, I'll go tell her then..." As Goten turned to relay the reply to Bulma who was no doubt hiding somewhere in one of Capsule Corps. numerous laboratories, he was stopped by Gohan.  
  
"Goten, have you seen 'tousan?"  
  
"Yup. He's training with Vegeta-san outside." He replied, wondering curiously why his older brother hadn't heard all of the shouting and explosions that had been raging on outside all afternoon.  
  
"Okay, thanks."  
  
Goten smiled happily at his brother then disappeared out into the corridor while Trunks edged closer to the eldest Demi Saiya-jin before claiming possession of the cushion next to his and propping himself back against the back rest with a theatrical sigh. "So." He trailed off, observing Gohan closely with his vibrant blue eyes. When the dark-haired Demi Saiya-jin turned towards him with a brow raised slightly in question, he continued. "What were you an' the book fightin' about?"  
  
"Oh," Gohan replied, silently wondering at the strange behaviour Trunks had been displaying around him all day. "Just about who won the Cell Games. The book seems to think it was Mr. Satan, while I disagree."  
  
Trunks cast his eyes once again to the battered textbook and took in with a wide grin the pen protruding from the cover. "I guess it lost." He replied, wrenching a laugh from Gohan.  
  
"Yep. It took five goes, but eventually it just lay there and surrendered. I guess it just couldn't stand up to the might of The Great Saiyaman." Gohan laughed as Trunks' face immediately twisted as if he'd tasted something bad.  
  
"I dunno why you like that costume so much, Gohan-niisan. You look dumb in it."  
  
Gohan ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I know. That's why I like it."  
  
Trunks looked up at him, his little face confused. "Eh?"  
  
"Yeah." Gohan nodded. "I like it because it gives me a chance to act stupid and be silly for once." At Trunks' deepening confusion he continued. "Ya see, Torunksu, when I was your age I was already fighting aliens and bad guys for real, and I was never allowed to act young or silly because people'd get hurt. I guess being Great Saiyaman is a way of making myself enjoy a second childhood." He laughed. "And it's also a great way of making fun of Frieza and the Ginyu Force. I keep amusing myself thinking that they can see all those dumb poses from Hell."  
  
Trunks giggled as a mental image of a shelf full of Great Saiyaman videotapes for sale in a Hell video store appeared in his minds eye. That actually was a rather funny thought. He wondered if Gohan would get any money from such a business, or wether Hell would suck up all the money to pay for all those Ogres his father had said guarded the place. Hey, did they even have money in Hell?  
  
Gohan sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. Closing his eyes, he felt the strong tugging of his consciousness wanting to shut down. He was so tired. Stupid Cell Games homework. Giving him a damn headache. Making him swear more than usual, too. And damnitt, he had to teach Videl how to control ki blasts tomorrow, as well. He sighed again, unaware of the curious blue eyes that were watching him as he fought back the wave of sleepiness that wanted to blanket his mind. Maybe some food would help his brain start functioning again. Slitting his eyes open, he was just in time to catch Trunks sneaking a glance at him before the young boy became aware that he was looking at him and abruptly blushed a bright red.  
  
"Y-you sleepy, Gohan-niisan?" He stuttered, looking everywhere but at him. "You can sleep in my room if ya want."  
  
Gohan sat up slightly and looked at him, even more curious as to his odd behaviour. He was acting almost as if he had a crush on someone. But. that was.that was just stupid. Trunks was only eight, barely aware of girls even existing. If Gohan had the energy he would have slapped himself. "No thanks, Torunksu-chan. I can wait until I get home."  
  
Was it just him, or did Trunks look a little disappointed when he said that?  
  
"Oh, okay then." Trunks replied, still refusing to meet his eyes. "You just looked like you were gonna pass out, or somethin'." Gohan picked up on the note of concern in his brother's best friend's voice.  
  
"Aa." Gohan agreed quietly, running his fingers through his short, spiked hair tiredly. "I am exhausted, though Dende only knows why. I haven't done anything even remotely strenuous for weeks."  
  
Trunks looked uncharacteristically thoughtful for a moment, before finally meeting Gohan's eyes with a concerned but hopeful blue stare. "Well, maybe that's why." He supplied. At Gohan's apparent confusion, he continued. "I mean, when you're bored, and ya haven't done nothin' for a while, you do get sleepy. 'Kassan's always complaining about being over-tired, and dad always blames it on her being a lazy onna. I mean, you're not a woman or anything - or lazy, either - but it still fits, dunnit?" Trunks' face was open with the hope for the older boy's approval of his idea, and his smile broadened when Gohan smiled and nodded at him.  
  
"Yeah, kiddo. Maybe that's it."  
  
"Oi, Trunks!" Another jubilant cry from Goten wound its way up the hall into the room the two Demi Saiya-jin's were lounging in just before the small, dark-haired miniature Goku burst through the door with a large black box in hand. "Lookie what your hahaue gave me!"  
  
Trunks pushed himself off the couch and peered at the large black box Goten was balancing on his hands. His curiosity fizzled when he recognized the common object Goten was so thrilled about. "That's just a tape-deck, Goten. Nothin' to get all excited about."  
  
Goten clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes in a cheerful 'I know that' gesture. "Not the tape-deck, silly." He scolded, laughing. Carefully juggling the player around in his arms so that he wouldn't drop it, he freed one hand and waved an oblong-shaped piece of clear plastic at him. "This!" He grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet.  
  
Trunks eyed the piece of plastic sceptically. "A tape? What's so special about that?"  
  
Sighing theatrically, Goten put the tape deck down at his feet and freed his hands to explain in his over-enthusiastic gestures. "Well, ya 'member that TV show we watched this morning with all those puppet-things?"  
  
It was now Trunks' turn to roll his eyes. "Yes, Goten. And they were called Muppets."  
  
Goten was unfazed. "Yeah - them! Anyway, 'member that song that red one was singing? Well, I asked your Mum, and she said she had a tape of it somewhere, and this is the tape, and she gave it to me!" He waved the tape again and grinned at his best friend.  
  
Trunks' smile threatened to eclipse Goten's entirely. "Really? Wow!" He was almost bouncing on his toes in enthusiasm. "We should play it! That song is sooo cool. And maybe it'll keep Gohan from feeling tired!" He shot a glance at the teenage Demi Saiya-jin who was watching the exchange with drowsy curiosity, then almost slapped himself when Goten's happy face fell into one of concern.  
  
"Niichan's feeling sleepy?" He asked. "But it's not even night time, yet. Is he sick?"  
  
Thinking quickly, Trunks made use of his mouth before Gohan could even open his. "No, of course he's not sick, Goten. Just tired. And besides," He continued when Goten's face lost that verge-of-tears expression he wore whenever something bad concerned his older brother. "If we play that song for him he might start feeling better!" He sneaked another glance at Gohan and found him smiling thankfully at him.  
  
"Okay!" Goten shouted happily. Excitedly, he dragged the tape deck closer to the wall and plugged it into the nearest power socket. Flicking the switch to open the current, he glanced up at Gohan who was watching him with a heavy-lidded, but sharp gaze as he had his first solo experience with electricity. He smiled, happy to know that even though his brother was tired, he was still looking out for him.  
  
Gohan felt his lips twitch in answer to his brother's smile, but continued to stare warily at the boys as Goten slotted the tape into the deck and glanced up at his slightly older companion.  
  
"Ready?" He asked Trunks, his forefinger hovering over the 'play' button.  
  
The purple mop of hair bobbed forwards as a wide mischievous grin plastered itself on his face. "Hit it!" He yelled exuberantly.  
  
Goten grinned wildly and punched his finger down.  
  
The five quiet cymbal taps barely gave Gohan enough warning to clamp his hands over his ears before the heavy beat and wild screaming belted out of the stereo and started a 5.something earthquake in the immediate vicinity of the lounge. Once exhaustion-laden eyes now snapped open in vivid awareness while completely relaxed muscles jerked the lounging body upright when, as if on que, the two boys began jumping around hyperactively, throwing their heads around violently, head-banging and shouting off-key the words to the racket bellowing out of the stereo.  
  
"MAH NA MAH NA!"  
  
Gohan half felt like screaming himself as all thought of sleep bade a hasty retreat before the raging chariots of ecstatic drum-players thundering through the forefront of his mind. He watched with utter disbelief as Trunks, the inheriting Prince of Saiya-jin's, swung his arms like propellers before beginning to imitate playing the electric guitar with unbelievable enthusiasm, while Goten, his little hands balled into fists, punched the air voraciously while doing his best impersonation of a very large mosh-pit. Both of the boys were bellowing out whole dictionaries of 'Yeah!'s and 'Alright!'s beneath the bass-contorting voice of the screaming Muppet From Hell. Gohan could only watch with wide eyes and narrowing tunnel vision as Goten and his best friend re-enacted the violent death throes of the T-1000 Terminator.  
  
"DOO-DOO-DO-DOODOO! MAH NA MAH NA!"  
  
Mouth gaping, more mayhem was suddenly added as Vegeta and Goku raced into the room, Goku covered in dirt and Vegeta with a bleeding cut on his cheek. They both reeked of sweat and pheromones, and the scent and vibrant streak of scarlet on the elder Prince's cheek imprinted themselves violently in Gohan's stunned mind.  
  
"What the fuck's that noise?!" Vegeta demanded, his sparring partner's mouth open ready to ask almost the same question, but left gaping like a drowning fish when Vegeta bet him to it. They both stopped short, brows shooting up to their hairlines, when their eyes fell upon their beserking sons in the centre of the room.  
  
The look of incredulity on Vegeta's face was abruptly swallowed by fury. "Bulmaaaa!" He roared, storming suddenly for the door leading further into the complex. "Woman - I thought I told you NO MORE MUPPETS!!!"  
  
Before Goku could stop himself he'd fallen into uncontrollable laughter, his hearty guffaws threatening to swallow him up whole, rivalling even the Muppets impressive volume. He was unaware of his eldest son standing shaking slightly behind him, Gohan's mind that had adapted rather well to the recent monotony of things to process overwhelmed by the sudden bombardment of new information. Threatening to short-circuit in its attempt to process everything it was registering, Gohan was unaware when the song was abruptly cut off when it reached its sudden end in the plastic claws of the tape deck. Both Trunks and Goten, however, stared unhappily at the black box that had irreversibly chewed up that afternoon's and many afternoons to come's fun.  
  
"Awww, dang!" Trunks moaned while Goten pouted, stooping to eject the tape and examine the tangled mess of its shiny brown innards.  
  
"That's sucky." He grumbled, his lower lip protruding as far as it would reach.  
  
Goku grinned around his laughter as it began to taper off into something less loud. "I wish I had a camera." He chuckled, face smeared with dirt and grass. "That was funny!"  
  
The two boys, breathing heavily from their exertions, flashed the spar- ravaged man twin grins of happiness before shifting their pleased smiles to the teenage boy standing slightly behind him, eyes wide and still staring.  
  
"Niichan?" Goten asked, his father turning slightly to follow the boy's stares as he became aware of his eldest son's presence. "Niichan, did you like the song?"  
  
Trunks eyed the slightly trembling teenager curiously. "Well, our idea worked..." He commented after almost a full minute of silence. "At least Gohan-niisan doesn't look quite so tired anymore!"  
  
And as the object of their observations' mind shut down completely for a much needed reboot, his dark eyes rolling back and heavy lids dropping to conceal the disturbing whites, Gohan's collapsing body was halted in its forward plummet only by the quick reflexes of his father. Saved from his impending interview with the plushly carpeted floor, he dangled limply in the bulky arms of the instantly concerned Goku - pale, hot, and smelling faintly of something unfamiliar.  
  
Trunks re-evaluated his earlier statement. "Okay, maybe not."  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, it's not supposed to make much sense. This ficlet was intended to be the first chapter of a multi-part that had struck me one evening while watching re-runs with my brother. Once it was written, however, I managed to convince myself that I already have too many other fics that I must finish and now is not the time to start another one. So I typed it up, changed it a little, and now it's just a peculiar little one-shot glimpse into one of those off-days everybody has but no one wants to talk about.  
  
"Death By Stereo" - Written by Cabbitshivers 09/19/02 - 09/20/02 


End file.
